The Ultimate Ranking Of Starbucks Iced Drinks
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Starbucks is known for its diverse selection of coffees, coffee-focused drinks, teas, and juices made precisely to fit each customer's preferences for flavor, sweetness, and temperature. Although many customers still prefer getting plain-old coffee from Starbucks, others frequent their local restaurants for more eclectic drinks. That includes the company's broad selection of iced drinks, like cold brew coffee, iced tea, iced coffee, and Refreshers beverages. In the summer of 2022, Starbucks even introduced a new Refreshers to the mix — pineapple passionfruit — to ensure there's an iced drink for every color of the rainbow.
Let's be clear that there doesn't seem to be any sign of an unpopular drink from Starbucks. That's especially true for the coffee mogul's iced drinks, which are among the most popular options. Therefore, each drink on our list is a true customer favorite, simply ranked in order of the ones that are most preferred based on a mix of reviews, social media trends, and claims from Starbucks itself. Additionally, although the company has several seasoning offerings, we've mostly included drinks that are available to order all year.
14. Iced White Mocha
If you're a TikTok user, you may have noticed a lot of talk over the summer of 2022 about the Starbucks Iced White Mocha. This creamy drink includes 2% milk, white chocolate mocha syrup, and Signature Espresso Roast shots. Of course, as with any Starbucks drink, you can customize it with syrups, creamers, and flavors. And that's exactly what TikTokers did, creating the seemingly ideal Iced White Mocha concoction that propelled many to go to their local Starbucks to place an order. The blend? "Sweet cream foam and extra Caramel Drizzle," states naomiifelton, a TikTok user who hopped on the viral bandwagon.
Perhaps the reason the Iced White Mocha is so popular is that it's so easy to customize and still tastes great. In fact, Starbucks itself usually presents different versions of the drink around the holiday season each year. For example, 2019 was reserved for the hot or iced Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, and in 2017, the drink was swirled with white chocolate and dark mocha to create the Black and White Mocha.
13. Pink Drink Starbucks Refreshers Beverage
Fans of YouTuber James Charles are probably familiar with the star's obsession with Starbucks, namely a custom drink he coined, "Pinkity Drinkity." Charles loved the drink — which is a "Strawberry Acai Refresher with coconut milk & water" — so much that he made a YouTube video recreating it at home.
Although the jury's still out on whether Charles' frequent mentions of his Pinkity Drinkity on YouTube boosted its popularity, Starbucks did decide to make their version of it — the Pink Drink — a staple item on the menu in April 2017. In a press release, Starbucks vice president Vivienne Long stated, "This delicious and refreshing drink is a celebration of our customers' and baristas' creativity and is just one of the 170,000 ways we craft beverages to meet each person's unique taste preferences," implying that it was added to the menu based on the number of custom orders Starbucks stores received asking for it.
12. Iced Caffè Latte
Another popular Starbucks menu option is the Iced Caffè Latte, which blends the strong flavors of iced coffee with a little more sweetness and creaminess. According to Starbucks, the Iced Caffè Latte is similar to its Iced Americano, except that it uses chilled milk rather than cold water to blend with the coffee. The drink traditionally comes with 2% milk and Signature Espresso Roast shots, making it a great base to customize.
For instance, one Twitter user orders their Iced Caffè Latte with Hazelnut Syrup, Mocha Drizzle, and Chocolate Cream Cold Foam. Another user personalizes their drink to give them a much-needed dose of caffeine for the day, stating, "For anyone needing a massive caffeine boost: Starbucks Venti Iced Blonde Caffé Latte [with] 4 ristretto shots. You'll be golden." You can even get festive for the holidays with flavor additions like Apple Brown Sugar or Peppermint Syrup.
11. Iced Coffee
Starbucks may have some of the fanciest coffee drinks and juices around, but many customers still frequent their local restaurant for plain Iced Coffee, making it one of the top iced drinks in our ranking. The drink traditionally gets 2% milk and a few pumps of Classic Syrup, but the customization options are virtually endless (via Starbucks). In fact, several Redditors suggest using syrups other than Classic Syrup to make the drink even better. For example, one Redditor suggests using White Mocha Syrup, while several in this thread mention using Vanilla Syrup to create the perfect balance of coffee flavor and sweetness.
Starbucks Iced Coffee has even made its way into the refrigerated section of stores like Walmart and Target. The coffee drinks come in varieties such as Unsweetened Medium Roast, Unsweetened Dark Roast, and Subtly Sweet Medium Roast, allowing customers to choose their level of intensity and sweetness, just like they can at their nearby Starbucks.
10. Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte
Before fall hits each year, you probably start seeing images of pumpkin spice drinks on your Instagram feed, TV screens, and billboards across town. Much of that is probably because the Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte comes back into Starbucks restaurants as summer transitions to fall, and it's always an exciting time for Starbucks enthusiasts who can't wait for the return of their favorite flavor. Although it's seasonal, the Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte absolutely deserves to be near the top of this list, as even Starbucks says it's the company's "most popular seasonal beverage of all time."
The iced version of the drink includes 2% milk, shots of Signature Espresso Roast, Pumpkin Sauce, and Pumpkin Spice Topping with Whipped Cream. One Starbucks barista claimed that the 2022 version of the Pumpkin Spiced Latte changed a bit, with a little less syrup in each pump and a slight change to the syrup recipe (via Newsweek). However, that doesn't seem to change its popularity, judging by the number of people sharing styled photos of their drinks across social media. According to CNBC, Starbucks has sold more than 600 million of its iced and hot Pumpkin Spice Lattes since first introducing them in 2003.
9. Iced Matcha Tea Latte
Starbucks continues to reinvent its Iced Matcha Tea Latte and in 2022 the Strawberry Dream Pure Matcha Latte was introduced to the world. The iced drink features matcha tea powder blended with strawberry syrup, milk, and cloud foam for a smooth, refreshing twist on the traditional beverage. The regular Iced Matcha Tea Latte is also still available at participating restaurants and includes scoops of matcha powder blended with 2% milk and poured over ice.
The drink has been popular on TikTok for well over a year now, with many users sharing their creations in their videos. One of the favored ways to order an Iced Matcha Tea Latte is by adding a couple of chai pumps to the mix. Even superstar Lizzo loves the drink and urges her TikTok followers to "try it," although her caption suggests that she substitutes the 2% milk for oat milk (via TikTok).
8. Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew
In 2016, Starbucks launched its Cold Brew coffees in more than 2,800 stores in the United States and Canada. The drink brews for 20 hours to get the right mix of flavor. Cold Brew isn't technically an iced coffee, as it's steeped with cold water as opposed to being brewed with hot water and poured over ice. However, it is, of course, served cold and usually with ice, so it earns a fair spot on this list. The original Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew is a Starbucks staple with Vanilla Syrup and Vanilla Sweet Cream to add a hint of sweetness to the drink.
Search for Starbucks Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew on Google, and you'll find plenty of copycat recipes to enjoy at home, indicating its viral popularity. Grocery stores also carry the Starbucks Discoveries version that you can keep in your refrigerator. Some Target reviewers mention that it tastes more like a Chick-Fil-A cold brew coffee, but others exclaim their love for the premade drink. One reviewer on Target says, "This is my favorite store-bought iced coffee. It's not a fully stocked fridge without one of these!"
7. Dragon Drink Starbucks Refreshers Beverage
Take a look at some of the most photographed Starbucks drinks, and you'll probably find that the Dragon Drink Starbucks Refreshers beverage takes up a good portion of the results. The drink has similar vibes as the Pink Drink Starbucks Refreshers beverage, but instead of blending cold strawberries into the drink, baristas mix in dragonfruit for a bold flavor. The plant-based drink is made with coconut milk, making it an excellent option for vegan customers.
This bright pink drink is a favorite on TikTok, especially, when Starbucks baristas share their techniques for making it and fans share videos of their pretty, fuchsia drinks. Apparently, Dragon Drink Starbucks Refreshers Beverage is fun to customize, too. For example, one TikToker adds strawberries and Sweet Cream Cold Foam to theirs, while another user asks their barista to blend strawberry puree into Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam before adding it to the drink.
6. Iced Caramel Macchiato
Macchiatos date far back in Starbucks' history, beginning with the menu at the CEO's first coffeehouse, Il Giornale (via Starbucks). The Caramel Macchiato as you know it today began selling at Starbucks in 1996 as part of the chain's 25th anniversary. According to the creator of the famous Iced Caramel Macchiato, Hannah Su, the drink was supposed to only be a limited-time offering. However, its quick popularity helped it become a Starbucks staple. Su believes that part of the reason the drink does so well is that "everybody loves caramel," and its familiar taste offers comfort to many Starbucks patrons
The drink, which includes Vanilla Syrup, 2% milk, Signature Espresso Roast, and Caramel Drizzle is another highly popular Starbucks drink to show off on TikTok with its personalized additions and substitutions. For example, one TikToker rings in the fall season by substituting Vanilla Syrup for Pumpkin Spice Syrup to add fall harvest flavors to the drink.
5. Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso
Starbucks caused quite a stir when it announced the launch of two plant-based iced drinks in March 2021. According to a Starbucks news release, the Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso and Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso both hit Starbucks restaurants to please customers looking for more non-dairy choices, something that had been gradually growing with additions like coconut milk and almond milk to the customization options.
The Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso has become especially popular. Senior product developer for Starbucks, Alicia Binion, explains its flavors in the news release: "This beverage has some complexity to it with notes of a chocolate malt that complement the nuttiness of the almond milk. It's fun with a little bit of familiarity at the same time." One Twitter user loves how low-calorie the drink is compared to others, while another customer shares on Reddit, "It has easily become my favorite drink at Starbucks."
4. Strawberry Açaí Starbucks Refreshers Beverage
If you don't prefer coffee drinks but still frequent Starbucks, there's a good chance you've ordered the Strawberry Açaí Starbucks Refreshers Beverage at some point. The company first released its Refreshers with just two flavors — Very Berry Hibiscus and Cool Lime — in 2012 (via Starbucks). Those two are no longer available, but the Strawberry Açaí version has taken over to become one of the most popular drinks on the menu, even getting its own spinoff with a creamier version, the Pink Drink. The Strawberry Açaí Starbucks Refreshers Beverage includes real strawberries and strawberry flavor blended with "notes of passionfruit and açaí."
Customers dig the refreshing flavors and colorful appearance of this fun drink. Chick Advisor rated it "Amazing," saying, "Great for a summer day or even great when you're just feeling like you need a little pip in your step." One TikToker adds some fruity pizzazz to theirs by asking their barista to add peach juice and raspberry flavor.
3. Iced Chai Tea Latte
The Starbucks Iced Chai Tea Latte is a blend of creaminess, black tea, and herbs and spices, giving it a comforting aroma and taste (via Starbucks). As one Twitter user states, the "Iced Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks always hits." What more could you ask for in a drink you're going to spend good money on? Paige Bennett, a contributor for Insider, tried iced chai lattes from Starbucks and three other popular chain restaurants. Her opinion? There were only two of the lattes that she would order again, and the Starbucks version was her top pick.
This drink is another favorite to customize, especially when it comes time for pumpkin-spice-everything season. One Twitter user shared their customized blend: "Iced Chai Tea Latte with oatmilk and pumpkin sauce...literally [tastes] like pumpkin pie, it's so fire." Another fan on Reddit showed a picture of their personalized Iced Chai Tea Latte with pumpkin spice-flavored cold foam.
2. Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade
A popular offering during the hot summer months, the Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade is one of the most low-calorie options at Starbucks, with just 50 calories for a Grande. Starbucks describes it in mouth-watering terms: "Our blend of hibiscus, lemongrass and apple hand-shaken with ice, lemonade and, of course, passion." If you're looking for a zero-calorie option, there's always its sister drink, Iced Passion Tango Tea.
However, it's the lemonade-infused version that draws in fans, especially on TikTok. That could be partly because TikTok star happykelli exclaimed that this Starbucks option is her "favorite summer drink" to her 7+ million followers as she dances across the boardwalk. And then there's another TikTok sensation, Haley Pham, who adds a "splash of peach juice and three pumps of raspberry" to hers, captioning, "My tastebuds are still processing new flavors from that drink." Want to make yours creamier? Add cold foam to your order like Starbucks did in the summer of 2018 with its Iced Passion Tango Tea Lemonade, naming it the Summer Sunset.
1. Iced Flat White
Customers seem to be on either side of the fence with no middle ground regarding the Iced Flat White at Starbucks. One antagonist of the drink, Medium writer Alex Rowe, explains that, in his opinion, the Iced Flat White looks reminiscent of a milkshake, and the milk-to-coffee ratio seems to be off. According to Nescafe, a flat white is highly milk-based, blending foamed milk over shots of espresso. Some confuse it with a latte, but a flat white typically has a stronger coffee flavor due to the consistency and blending process of the milk.
However, the people who love the Iced Flat White really go hard for it, and it's mostly because of its high espresso content and flavor. One Twitter user states, "Apparently [an] Iced Flat White from Starbucks has the magic ability of getting me to get my life in order. I can do anything with all this espresso [coursing] through my veins." Another customer relies on the Starbucks Iced Flat White to get her through the day, saying, "I'm just so tired and feeling hopeless and could really use an Iced Flat White for a pick me up." With statements like these, it's no wonder this drink ranks at the top of our list.